Columbia News

Mizzou Cross Country is set to host the Gans Creek Classic on Saturday, October 3, at the Gans Creek Recreation Area in Columbia. This event marks the first of two home meets for the Tigers this season and will feature three SEC opponents. The men’s 8000m race begins at 9:00 a.m. CT, followed by the women’s 6000m race at 10:00 a.m. CT.

The Tigers will have 26 athletes competing—14 men and 12 women. The women’s team will face Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt, while the men’s team will compete against Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

On the men's side, Mizzou aims to build on its recent second-place finish at the Commodore Classic. Freshman William Sinclair from Tauwhere, New Zealand led the team in his collegiate debut with a third-place overall finish and was named SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance.

Other top performers included senior Kieran Wood (Cambridge, England), junior Marquette Wilhite (Warrensburg, Mo.), and junior Martin Prodanov (Plovdiv, Bulgaria), all finishing in the top ten. Freshman Jack Warner (Kansas City, Mo.) completed the top five with a twentieth-place finish.

For the women’s team, senior Sarah Chapman (Maidenhead, England) finished second overall at their last meet. Chapman had two top-five finishes last season and is expected to lead again at Gans Creek. Sophomore Ginger Murnieks (Lee's Summit, Mo.) and freshman McKenna Revord (Hinsdale, Ill.) also placed in the top fifteen as Mizzou secured third place as a team.

Several freshmen are set to make their collegiate debuts during this meet: David Helmerich (Highland Ranch, Colo.), Jackson McAlister (Waterloo, Ill.), and Quentin Worley (Riverside, Mo.), who did not travel to the previous competition.

Last year saw both Mizzou men’s and women’s teams win at the inaugural Gans Creek Classic; Thomas George led with a first-place finish for the men while Sarah Chapman finished third for the women.

After this weekend's meet, Mizzou will host its final regular-season event—the Missouri XC Invitational—at Gans Creek Recreation Area on Friday, October 16. Postseason competition begins with SEC Championships on Saturday, October 30 in Baton Rouge.